Rayon crepes and their method of manufacture



Patented Mar. 28, 1939 PATENT OFFICE RAYON oanrns AND THEIR METHOD or MANUF ACTURE Abraham Moscowitz, New York, N. Y., assignor to L. Sonneborn Sons, Inc., a corporation of Delaware I N Drawing.

14 Claims.

This invention relates to improved rayon crepes and their method of manufacture.

In the manufacture of rayon crepes, pleasing effects, such as, for instance, pebble effects, are obtained by impregnating the woof threads prior to the weaving operation with a so-called throwing oil and su jecting the woven goods to the customary boil-ofi. The conventional throwing oils are usually composed of gelatin and. a blend ll) of a sulphonated vegetable oil such as olive-oil with an unsulphonated or straight vegetable oil such as cocoanut oil. The woven goods containing the treated rayon as woof threads, will shrink as the result of the boil-off and a creped pebble effect appears. The warp threads of the weave may consist of any suitable textile material such as rayon,'acetate, etc. Due to the comparatively low penetrative power of the conventional throwing oils, the exhaustion or so-called take-up of the treating bath is highly unsatisfactory and uneconomical. The conventional treatment is furthermore encumbered with the comparative high cost of the gelatin component and the additional disadvantage of subjecting the rayon to a certain amount of deterioration as the result of the relatively high alkalinity prevailing in the treating bath.

I have discovered a method which is far supe rior to the conventional treatments and which permits to substantially obviate the hereinbeforedescribed difficulties and disadvantages.

In accordance with the invention I use for the impregnation of the rayon to be employed as the woof in the filling of rayon crepes, a composition comprising a mahogany sulphonate, a sulpho nated unsaturated oil and a suitable mineral oil.

The mahogany sulphonate which I use is obtained in the manner well known in the art by subjecting a lubricating oil stock under sulphohating conditions to the action of fuming sulphuric acid, usually a S03 containing fuming acid, and recovering the so-called mahogany petroleum sulphonlc acids or shortly mahogany sulphonic acids or their salts from the acid treated oil after the separation of the same from the acid sludge; the sulphonic acids may be either recovered as such, as for instance by the process described in the Liberthson Patent No. 2,050,345 (August 11, 1936) and subsequently converted into the sulphonates, or, may be recovered directly as mahogany sulphonates in accordance with the ordinary petroleum refining practice by direct neutralization of the acid treated oil followed by suitable extraction. The mahogany sulphonic acids or mahogany sulpha- Application October 9, 1936, Serial No. 104,831

'material obtained in the refining of petroleum oils is substantially uniform and well identifiable, I have termed and will refer to the neutralized sulphonic acids for the purpose of brevity simply as mahogany sulphonate and wherever I use this term in the specification or claims I mean a neutralized material obtained by the sulphonation of lubricating oil stock as afore-described.

The sulphonated unsaturated oil prescribed as the necessary ingredient in my composition may be any one or mixture of the commercially available sulphonated vegetable or animal oils or fats habitually used in the textile industry and obtained by a sulphonation of vegetable or animal oils or fats whether of natural or synthetic origin such as castor oil, olive oil, cocoanut oil or fat, neats-foot oil, fish oil, oleic acid, etc., and wherever I refer in the specification and claims to a sulphonated unsaturated oil I mean to include a sulphonated vegetable as well as animal oil or fat. I preferably use, however, an oil obtained by the sulphonation of an unsaturated oil or fatwhich possesses an iodine value of not less than 50 such as olive oil or oleic acid.

The mineral oil that I may use in my composition in conjunction with a mahogany sulphonate and a sulphonated' unsaturated oil may be either any straight, that is, unsulphonated mineral oil or mineral oil blend or a mineral oil compounded with a suitable vegetable or animal oil or fat or mixtures thereof. For, best results I have found it preferable to use a straight: mineral oil such as a viscosity Texas pale oil or a white oil or a blend of Texas pale oil and white 011. Thus, wherever I use the term mineral oil, as appearing in the specification and claims, I mean to include straightas well as blended or compounded oils of the above-described charac ter and nature.

In treating the rayon according to the invention, the soaking time required for effective im pregnation is cut down considerably and. in most cases a period of from fifteen to thirty minutes will suffice. The use of the costly gelatin'is eliminated, thus radically economizing and simplifying the impregnating procedure while the pebble eiiect obtained is even more pleasing and much more uniform than that hitherto obtainable.

As the result or the favorably low pH at which the already effective operation of the impregnating bath is assured (the bath is but slightly alkaline) the rayon is not deleteriously affected by the treatment and the yarn has no tendency to tender in the weave.

In the ordinary process conventionally practiced by the silk throwster with gelatin containingcompositions, it is often considerably diflicult to achieve an absolutely uniform and even dyeing on the gelatin treated goods. The method, in accordance with my invention, however, distinguishes itself remarkably in that it assures a substantially uniform and even dyeing of woven piece goods in which the woof has been impregnated with the novel throwing oil.

The amount of mahogany sulphonate and sulphonated unsaturated oil present in the composition should be at least sufficient to convert the normally water immiscible components, that is, the mineral oil, into water miscible form (e. g. emulsion). In order to obtain best results, however, it is of advantage to use in excess of the minimum quantity and amounts of from 10 to 50% mahogany sulphonate and from 5 to 25% sulphonated unsaturated oil have proven satisfactory in the majority of cases. The proportion of mahogany sulphonate to sulphonated unsaturated oil is preferably approximately 1:1. The mineral oil component may be present in the composition in amounts ranging between 25 to 75% though I prefer to use an amount of from 2 to 3 times that of the total mahogany sulphonate and sulphonated unsaturated oil present. For the purpose of aiding the emulsiflcation in the treating bath it is frequently of advantage though not necessary to add to the novel composition some free alkali preferably 0.5 to 2% (solid) such as from 1 to 4.5% of a 44% caustic potash solution. Water is added in all cases to yield and the composition contains as a rule of from 4 to 10% of water. It is, of course, understood and within the purview of my invention to vary the above to suit particular conditions. The mahogany sulphonate itself should be substantially neutral and substantially free from salts.

Though the presence of gelatin in my composition as applied in the manufacture of rayon crepes is not essential in order to obtain the desired pebble effect it is sometimes of advantage to add small amounts of gelatin so as to further enhance the finish of the treated crepe. Such addition, however, is comparatively so small that it becomes insignificant and does not impair the advantages of the new method.

In the practical application of my method the rayon is first impregnated with the throwing oil and is thereupon, after the removal of excess liquid and subsequent drying, subjected to a so termed throwing operation which comprises winding of the rayon on spools, combining a number of spools to form individual threads, twisting the combined threads and finally winding the twisted threads on bobbins which are subsequently steamed. In the next step the threads are rewound from the bobbins to quills which are inserted into the shuttle on a loom and provide the woof in the filling of the crepe weave desired to be obtained, the warp being on the loom already and consisting of any suitable textile material. After weaving the piece goods are boiled off and the goods shrink with a partial release of torsional energy (the torsional energy was stored in the goods as the result of the throwing operation) thus causing the peculiar fabric distortion called pebble.

The following example is given to illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, but is in no way to be taken as indicative of the scope thereof.

Example The following materials are thoroughly mixed to form the rayon throwing oil:

Rayon skeins are opened and soaked in a bath made up of 50 to 60 gallons of water and 20 to 24 pounds of the above composition for every pounds of rayon. The rayon is permitted to soak for twenty minutes at to F., thereafter removed from the bath and allowed to drain for approximately five minutes. The skeins are then freed from excess moisture in a so-called "whizzer which is a centrifugal arrangement. The rayon after being dried is subjected to a throwing operation as afore-described and thereafter woven as the woof, into piece goods together with warp threads of suitable material. The piece goods are subsequently boiled off in soap and water and at this point the creping effect takes place. The goods shrink and a very pleasing and uniform pebble effect appears. The goods are thereafter dyed and/or otherwise finished.

The foregoing description is by way of illustration and not of limitation, and I am not to be limited to any details, but only by the appended claims in which I have endeavored to claim broadly all inherent novelty.

I claim:

1. In the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation the step which comprises impregnating rayon with a composition containing mahogany sulphonate, sulphonated unsaturated oil, mineral oil and water, the component parts of said composition being proportioned and present in amounts sufficient to effect by a subsequent boil-off pebble formation in piece goods containing woof threads of rayon so impregnated.

2. In the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation the step in accordance with claim 1 in which the proportion of mahogany sulphonate to sulphonated unsaturated oil is substantially 1:1 and the proportion of mineral oil to the total mahogany sulphonate plus sulphonated unsaturated oil present is substantially from 2:1 to 3:1' and in which said composition contains a small amount of alkali.

3. In the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation the step which comprises impregnating rayon with an aqueous impregnating bath containing a composition substantially composed of from 10 to 50% mahogany sulphonate, from 5 to 25% sulphonated unsaturated oil, from 25 to 75% mineral oil and from 4 to 10% water, the component parts of said composition being proportioned and present in amounts sufficient to effect by a subsequent boil-off pebble formation in piece goods containing woof threads of rayon so impregnated.

4. In the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation the step in accordance with 75 claim 3 in which said impregnating bath substantially contains for every 110 pounds of rayon 20 to 24 pounds of said composition dispersed in from 50 to gallons of water and in which said composition substantially contains of from 0.5 to

2% alkali.

5. Method for the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation which comprises impreg-- rayon as woof threads into piece goods together with warp threads and finally subjecting said piece goods to a boil-off, the component parts of said composition being proportioned and present in amounts sufiicient to produce pebble-forma.-

tion in. said piece goods during said boil-off.

6. Method in accordance with claim 5 in which the proportion of mahogany sulphonate to sulphonatedunsaturated oil is substantially 1:1 and the proportion of mineral oil to the total mahogany sulphonate plus sulphonated unsaturated oil present is substantially from 2:1 to 3:1 and in which. said composition contains a small amount of alkali.

'7. Method for-the manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation which comprises impregnating rayon with an impregnating bath containing a composition composed of from 10 to 50% mahogany sulphonate, from 5 to 25% sulphonated unsaturated oil, from 25 to mineral oil and from 4 to 10% of water, thereafter subjecting the impregnated rayon to a rayon throwing operation andweaving the thrown and impregnated rayon as woof threads into piece goods together with warp threads and finally subjecting said piece goods to a boil-off, the component parts of said'composition being proportioned and present in said impregnating bath in amounts sufficient to produce pebble formation in said piece goods during-said boil-ofl.

8. Method in accordance with claim '7 in which said impregating bath substantially contains for every 110 pounds of rayon 20 to 24 pounds of said composition dispersed in from 50 to 60 gallons of water and in which said composition substantial- 1y contains of from 0.5 to 2% alkali.

9. Method forthe manufacture of rayon crepes with pebble formation which comprises impregnating rayon skeins with an aqueous treating bath containing a composition comprising mahogany sulphonate, sulphonated unsaturated oil,

mineral oil and less than 2% of alkali, removing excess treating liquid and drying the rayon so impregnated, thereafter winding said rayon on spools, combining a number of spools to form individual threads, twisting the combined threads; winding the twisted threads on bobbins and steaming said bobbins, thereafter rewinding said twisted and steamed threads from said bobbins to quills, inserting said quills into the shuttle on a loom, weaving said twisted threads as woof threads into piece goods together with warp threads and finally subjecting said piece goods to a boil-off, the component parts of said composition being proportioned and present in said treating bath in amounts sufficient to produce pebble formation in said piecegoods during said boil-off.

10. Method in accordance with claim 9 in which said composition substantially contains of from 10 to 50% mahogany sulphonate, from 5 to 25% sulphonated unsaturated oil from 25 to 75% mineral oil and from 0.5 to 2% alkali and in which said treating bath substantially contains for every 110 pounds of rayon 20 to 24 pounds of said composition dispersed in from 50 to 60 gallons of water. r

11. A processed rayon for the manufacture of rayon crepeswith pebble formation consisting of threads of rayon impregnatedwith a composition containing mahogany sulphonate, sulphonated unsaturated oil, mineral oil and water proportioned and in amounts sufficient to effect by a subsequent boiloff ebble formation in piece goods containing woof threads of rayon sqimpregnated.

12. A processed rayon in accordance with claim 11 in which in said composition the proportion of mahogany sulphonate to sulphonated unsaturated oil is substantially 1:1 and the proportion of mineral oil to the total mahogany sulphonate plus sulphonated unsaturated oil present is substantially from 2:1 to 3:1 and in which said com claim 13 in which said'impregnating bath substantially contains for every pounds of rayon 20-to 24 pounds of said composition dispersed in from 50 to 60 gallons of water and in which said composition substantially contains of from 0.5 to 2% alkali.

ABRAHAM moscowrrz. 

